


You Should Be Here

by MoonRiver2220



Series: Musicality: songs that inspire [5]
Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: F/M, Grab a tissue, Musicality, One Shot, Song Lyrics, Song fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-24 08:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16171469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonRiver2220/pseuds/MoonRiver2220
Summary: Here they were, ready to take the world's biggest stage, for their final performance at their final Olympics as competing athletes, and there still hadn’t been enough she could do to help mend his heart. He'd been through so much and had come a long way in the healing process, but he still had a journey ahead of him. There would always be moments like these, where loved ones would be missing from sharing in the joy.





	You Should Be Here

**Author's Note:**

> Fic title and song lyrics in Italics are by Cole Swindell
> 
> I heard this song on the radio yesterday and was reminded of just how fitting it is. We all have someone missing from our lives....

**You Should Be Here by Cole Swindell**

  

**PyeongChang February 20, 2018**

 

"Scott? Are you okay?”

 

"Yeah. Just give me a minute, T.”

 

Tessa gave Scott a sad, knowing look and patted her hand on his shoulder as she left the area backstage where they had put their skates on. He'd needed a lot of _minutes_ in the last sixteen months. It started when he lost one of his childhood friends, and compounded with the loss of his beloved grandpa, and then yet again with the loss of a great Canadian icon from his youth, Gord Downie.

 

Here they were, ready to take the world's biggest stage, for their final performance at their final Olympics as competing athletes, and there still hadn’t been enough she could do to help mend his heart. He'd been through so much and had come a long way in the healing process, but he still had a journey ahead of him. There would always be moments like these, where loved ones would be missing from sharing in the joy. Tessa knew, she'd had her own losses, but so much within a twelve-month span had really taken its toll on Scott.

 

The first time that Scott had said he needed a minute, Tessa had hung back and watched him as he looked up to the sky and mumbled something. After months of this happening, she felt enough time had passed of this ritual to talk about it. So one day after he'd had his _minute_ , she had asked him what it was that he said as he looked up.

 

Scott cupped her cheeks gently with his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

 

"I'm sorry I haven't been as present as I had planned to be in our comeback."

 

Tessa shook her head. "No…Scott, this was not something you chose. You do not get to apologize for this. I told you before that you should take all the time you need to grieve and I will be right here by your side."

 

Scott sighed. "You are an amazing friend, T. I love you so much. You have held me up and given me strength. I...I just take a minute...a minute to think of GMac and Cale and tell them..."

 

Scott's words trailed off as tears ran down his cheeks. The sight of his breakdown caused Tessa to shed tears as well.

 

"I just say... _you should be here_ ,” he said softly as he pressed another kiss to her forehead.

 

 

**Ilderton, Ontario August 4, 2018**

 

Scott was wandering through the fair grounds, checking on last minute items the morning of their Thank You Ilderton event. He couldn’t have asked for better weather, sure it would be hot, but better that than rain. He paused in front of the stage and looked up, the reflection of the morning sun on a piece of metal had caught his eye. It reminded him of how many times in the last, almost two years now, that he had been _looking up._

Later that afternoon, Scott and Tessa were sitting in one of the private rooms at the arena, just taking a few minutes to themselves and relaxing in the air conditioning.

 

“Well, we should probably head back out?” Tessa asked as she patted Scott on the knee before standing up.

 

“Yeah…just give me a minute, T.”

 

Tessa smiled at Scott and kissed his cheek. “Take all the minutes you need, Scott.”

 

Scott adjusted the chain around his neck and looked up.

 

_It's perfect outside its like God let me dial up the weather_   
_Got the whole crew here, I ain't seen some of them in forever_   
_It's one of those never forget it, better stop and take it in kinda scenes_   
_Everything's just right…yeah except for one thing_

_You should be here, standing with your arm around me here_   
_Cutting up, cracking a cold beer_   
_Saying cheers, hey y'all it's sure been a good year_

_It's one of those moments, that's got your name written all over it_   
_And you know that if I had just one wish_   
_It’d be that you didn't have to miss this_   
_You should be here_

_You'd be taking way too many pictures on your phone_   
_Showing them off to everybody that you know back home_   
_And even some you don't yeah_

“You should both be here, standing with your arms around me,” he whispered before following Tessa back out into the waiting crowd.

 

**July 19, 2019**

 

Scott and Tessa had said their vows to one another and sealed it with a kiss, causing a chorus of cheers to erupt from the crowd. Before leaving their family and friends after the ceremony, Scott found Danny and Charlie.

 

“Hey, so I know we’re supposed to head straight over to the reception, but Tess and I need a minute.”

 

“Can’t that wait until tonight?” Charlie laughed as he elbowed Scott in the ribs.

 

Scott rolled his eyes. “Not _that_ kind of minute. We just have a little detour on the way…we won’t be long. I’ll explain later.”

 

His brothers gave him a _look_ , but so much of what Tessa and Scott did was not understandable. They’d given up trying to figure them out years ago.

 

“Well, it’s your day and your party, so your guests have no choice but to wait for you two to show up. Do what you need to do,” Danny said as he pulled his brother in for a big hug.

 

Tessa felt a familiar hand on her lower back. She turned to look at her husband…finally she can call him that! She gave him a smile and a nod to let him know that she was ready. They made their way out of the church and into his garishly decorated truck. Their siblings and his cousins had gone all out with the gold wedding pompoms and _just married_ decorations. The pair drove north, out of London, and then just a few minutes north of Ilderton.

 

When they reached their destination, Scott hesitated before getting out of the truck.

 

“Do you need a minute?” Tessa asked softly.

 

“I think any minutes I need from now on should include my wife,” Scott said with a smile as he took her hand in his and kissed the shiny gold wedding band she now wore on her finger. “Wait here, I’ll come around and help you and your big white dress out of the truck.”

 

Tessa smiled as the words he had spoken sunk in. She was now going to be included in his special minutes.

 

They walked hand in hand towards their destination. This was something Tessa had suggested to Scott while they were planning their wedding, and the thoughtfulness of it had him breakdown into tears.

 

“It’s just over here,” Scott said with a nod of his head. He led his wife towards his grandparents’ gravesite. They both paused in front of it and stood in silence. Scott was gripping Tessa’s hand so tightly but she didn’t want to say anything and break the moment. Scott took a deep, shaky breath.

 

“You should be here,” he whispered as he looked up at the sky and then back down at the headstone. “But you’re not, so we brought a part of the wedding to you.”

 

Tessa handed Scott her bouquet of pale pink roses and he laid it down in front of the headstone. He pressed a kiss to his fingers and then his fingers against the cold stone.

 

_They say now you're in a better place  
And I would be too if I could see your face_

 

_You should be here, standing with your arm around me here_  
_Cutting up, cracking a cold beer_  
 _Saying cheers, hey y'all it's sure been a good year_

 

_It's one of those moments, that's got your name written all over it_  
_And you know that if I had just one wish_  
 _It'd be that you didn't have to miss this_

 

**London, Ontario March 27, 2020**

 

Scott held a tightly wrapped bundle in his arms as he paced back and forth in the hospital room. He wanted so badly to keep the baby quiet so Tessa could rest. She had just been through nine hours of labour and he knew she was exhausted.

 

The baby started whimpering and then opened his eyes. Scott looked down and smiled as he wondered if the dark blue colour would change to green or hazel. Only time would tell. Regardless, their son looked so much like Tessa already. His face was a tiny version of the one Scott had first met all those years ago at the Ilderton rink.

 

Scott smiled again as he thought back to that one year he had been camping over the Canada Day long weekend with his friends. They were sitting around the camp fire, drinking beer and discussing life plans. Scott had mentioned that he’d like to settle down and have a family when his skating career was over. Cale had put his arm around Scott and said he couldn’t wait until the day Scott was a dad. “You’ll make a great one!” Cale had told him.

 

The whimpering became louder and Scott started gently bouncing his son as he walked around the room. The bouncing worked and the baby was quiet again. “That’s right, you’re okay. Just give your mama a few more minutes of rest. We got this, just you and me…my boy.” Scott looked up and closed his eyes. “Yeah, I’ll be a great one. I’ll make you proud, Cakey,” he whispered.

 

_Aw you should be here_

 

_You'd be loving this, you'd be freaking out, you'd be smiling, yeah_  
_I know you'd be all about what's going on right here right now_  
 _God I wish somehow you could be here_

 

_Oh you should be here_

_Yeah this is one of those moments that's got your name written all over it_  
_And you know that if I have just one wish it'd be that you didn't have to miss this_  
 _Aw you should be here_

 

 

**Just north of Ilderton, early April 2020**

 

“Are you ready?” Tessa asked as she turned to look at Scott.

 

Scott took a deep breath. “Yes, let’s go have our minute together. Just the three of us.”

 

Scott got out of the SUV and opened the door to the back seat. He unbuckled their son from his carseat and wrapped a blanket around him. It was a beautiful April day and the sun was warm. It was perfect. Scott carried the baby in his arms. He felt Tessa’s hand on his back as they walked together through the grass.

 

As they stood together in front of the gravesite, Scott was overcome with emotion.

 

Tessa brushed her own tears from her eyes and spoke for the both of them. “GMac, we want you to meet your great-grandson. He shares your birthday, so we thought it was fitting that he also shared your name. This is MacCormack Cale Virtue-Moir.”

 

Scott just looked up as they had their minute…

 

  
_You should be here_

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to watch the music video for the song, here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8WlCqZPTeg


End file.
